Roll On Big Joe Adds More KY Success in Kelly's Landing

Out of a three-wide fight for the lead in the stretch, one emerged, Roll On Big Joe, to snatch the $220,000 Kelly's Landing Stakes (G3) at Churchill Downs June 28. The victory, which paid his backers $11.90, dethroned a four-race win streak for Booth and foiled favored Dr. Venkman's visit from California. The 5-year-old son of Prospective, who was bred in Florida by Max Ubide, claimed his second graded win of the year, the first being in the Palos Verdes Stakes (G3) at Santa Anita Park in February for trainer Robert Hess Jr. and owners Rancho Temescal, White Fence, and Richard Hale Jr. Roll On Big Joe had primarily run in California since May of 2024, but was making his third consecutive start in Kentucky, earning back-to-back victories. "There wasn't much for him in Santa Anita... I love these surfaces here, they handle water, they're very safe," Hess said. "The race at Keeneland (a second-place finish in allowance company April 13) was very disappointing. He did bleed on me. So, we've seemed to fix him, and he's a pretty cool horse." Grade 2 winner Dr. Venkman finished second, narrowly ahead of Durante. The 2-1 morning-line favorite, Booth, finished fourth. Though rain began to fall about an hour before the race and continued throughout the 6 1/2-furlong event, the track remained rated fast. Roll On Big Joe stopped the clock in 1:15.22. Lush Lips breezes past rivals In tepin In the stretch of the $210,000 Tepin Stakes, Medallion Racing, Steve Weston, Stewart Hoffman, Mrs. Paul Shanahan, and Mrs. M. V. Magnier's Lush Lips (GB) extended out of the pack to win by 3 3/4 lengths in the one-mile grass race over Princess Attitude and Vixen, who finished second and third, respectively. Bred in Great Britain by the Pocock Family, the 3-year-old Ten Sovereigns (IRE) filly earned her second victory of the year for trainer Brendan Walsh. After back-to-back runner-up performances to Nitrogen, who is a perfect 5-for-5 this year, in the Edgewood Stakes (G2T) and Florida Oaks (G3T), Lush Lips finally broke through for her first stakes win. "We've been working with her plenty in behind and teaching her to pick up and run home," Walsh said. "Maybe in the (Edgewood Stakes) there was maybe not as much pace. There was more pace today, which I think really helped." Earlier in the year, Lush Lips ran sparingly, once in January, once in March, and once in May. "She was primed the last (race), we were super disappointed about what happened (finishing second)," Walsh said. "I think she showed us today she's as good as she's ever been." Nonetheless, the turf specialist earned her third career win in commanding fashion while stopping the clock in 1:35.98 and paying $5.24. Minaret Station wins American Derby Off eight-month layoff A field originally of 10 shrank to half its size with scratches, and Minaret Station took advantage to win the 1 1/16-mile $249,000 American Derby. The sophomore race saw the OXO Equine homebred leg out a half-length victory over Native Runner and Freedom's Not Free. A son of second-crop sire Instilled Regard, the William Walden-trained colt won two of three starts as a 2-year-old, concluding with a win in the Oct. 6 Bourbon Stakes (G2T) at Keeneland, which he won by 1 1/2 lengths. In November, Minaret Station was scratched from the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf (G1T) due to swelling in his pasterns he developed during travel. "We didn't like the way it looked, but felt like it was purely cosmetic," Walden said. "Once we decided to withdraw him, we were going to give him the winter off anyway. He was enjoying his time off in Florida, we just brought him back when (he was ready)." He was certainly ready Saturday, stopping the clock in 1:44.29 over the firm turf while paying $7.44 to win. "Thought he had a really good 2-year-old campaign, and he needed to grow up and physically, mentally still got a ways to go," Walden said. "Once he finally grows out of being a boy into a man and waits on the rider for his cues, he's going to have a bright future. We're super proud of him."